


Okay? Okay

by city_bright



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-21
Updated: 2014-04-05
Packaged: 2018-01-16 10:37:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1344394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/city_bright/pseuds/city_bright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mindy and Danny are dating, but she's pregnant with someone else's baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Set before the show begins right when Mindy and Tom break up. However, Mindy and Danny are already best friends.
> 
> I don't own The Mindy Project nor the characters.

Mindy and Tom were comfortably snuggled together on their couch watching Love Actually when it happened.

"Mindy?"

"Hmm?" she said, still focusing on the movie.

"Mindy, I want to break up."

With widened eyes, she immediately whipped her head to face him. "What?! What do you mean you want to _break up_?"

Tom sighed. "I just have this feeling that you're not completely in this."

"What do you mean 'in this?' Of course, I'm in this! We _live together_ , Tom! It's not like there's someone else in the picture."

"Are you sure about that?"

Mindy huffed in anger, rose up from the couch and crossed her arms. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It's just-Just think about it, okay?"

"No, why?! Tell me because I would _love_ to hear why you're basically accusing me of _cheating_ on you."

"Sometimes, you...talk about Danny too much and too fondly." Tom looked down to avoid her eyes.

"Danny? Danny Castellano, who I work with, my best friend!? That's absurd!"

Tom sighed, slightly frustrated that Mindy isn't grasping the concept. "Mindy, when you talk about him, you sound so happy. You've never sounded like that even when you're talking to _me_."

"He is just my best friend. There's nothing going on between us! I'm in this relationship with _you_ , Tom, not him, okay?"

"Look, you may not see it now, but it's there."

Mindy threw her hands up in exasperation. She started to gather her things and head for the door. "I can't believe this. Goodbye, Tom. Have a nice life. I'll come back later this week to grab the rest of my things."

Mindy slammed the door behind her and walked as fast as she could. She felt hot tears run down her face. "Great," she muttered. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She walked out of Tom's apartment building, and the cold New York air hit her. She pulled her coat closer to her body and started to head back to her own apartment.

* * *

When she opened the door to her barely lived-in apartment, she heavily sighed. "Another failed relationship. Good one, Mindy, good one," she muttered out loud to no one in particular. She dragged her body to her bedroom and plopped herself onto her bed. She just wanted to sleep and grieve in silence, but her phone started to buzz.

Mindy sniffled and groaned. "Ugh, who's calling me? I just want to be left alone." She quickly swiped her phone without paying attention to who was calling. "Hello?" Her voice sounded annoyed, but it was lined with sadness.

"Min?"

"Oh...It's you," she said sadly.

"Uh, yeah," Danny was taken aback by the sound of Mindy's voice, but he continued. "I was just, uh, grabbing some take out, and I was wondering if you wanted some."

"No."

"No? Mindy Lahiri never says no to food. Min, are you okay? You sound a little...off."

"No," Mindy sniffled.

"Alright, I'm coming over. Are you in your apartment? Don't go anywhere." Danny hung up before Mindy could say anything. Mindy thought about getting up to clean up a bit, so she wouldn't look like a complete mess in front of Danny, but she decided against it. Her bed was too comfortable.

* * *

Mindy was still lying on her bed when she heard Danny's muffled voice. "Mindy? You in there? Open up!"

Mindy mustered up the strength to peel herself off her bed and walk to the door. She unlocked the door and swung it open to see Danny holding two bags worth of take out.

"Shit, Min. You look terrible."

"Thanks...Always the gentleman, Castellano," Mindy said sarcastically. She turned her back to him and started to head towards the couch. Danny walked into the foyer, shut the door, kicked off his shoes, and went straight to her kitchen to set up the food. He heard the TV flick on. He was just about finished with unloading the Chinese food onto some plates when he asked, "So, what happened?"

"Tom broke up with me tonight," she said softly.

Danny rounded the couch, set the two plates on the coffee table and took a seat next to Mindy. He looked at Mindy with pain in his eyes, hating to see her hurt and cry.

"I'm sorry, Min. He's a jerk for dumping you. You're better off without him."

"Thanks, I guess." She reached for her plate and started to eat.

Danny sighed before he quietly asked, "Did he say why he broke up with you?"

Mindy didn't want to bring up the fact that Tom mentioned him as the cause of their breakup. "Ugh, he said that I wasn't fully in the relationship, and he basically accused me of cheating on him."

"He said that?! I'm gonna punch that jerk in the face. He can't talk to you like that!" Danny started to get up in a hurry.

Mindy pulled on the sleeve of his shirt. "No, Danny, it's fine, it's okay."

"So, what? Are you saying it's true? _Were_ you cheating on him?"

"No! I would never do that. I just-I just can't help but wonder why he thinks that there's someone else when there really isn't." Mindy sighed. "How did I get here Danny? I'm almost 35, and I can't even have a relationship with a guy who doesn't run away after a few months. I'm going to die alone."

Danny chuckled, put his right arm around her shoulder and lightly squeezed it.

She slightly pulled away from him to look him square in the eyes. "Don't laugh at me, you jerk."

"I wasn't laughing at you, Min. I was laughing at the idea that you think you're going to die alone. You're not going to die alone, Mindy." Danny removed his arm from her shoulder. Mindy placed her plate back onto the table, pulled her knees to her chest, and tucked the throw under her chin.

Mindy huffed. "Yeah, right, Danny. I'm a mess. No one is going to love me."

"Hey, hey, don't say that." Danny shifted his body to face her. "You are not a mess, Mindy. Look at you! You're a successful and accomplished doctor who owns one third of an OB/GYN practice in Manhattan. Tom's a jerk for dumping you. You're a great person. I mean, you annoy the hell out of me sometimes, but you're great. Any man would be lucky to call Mindy Lahiri his girlfriend."

Mindy gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Danny."

"Besides, you have me." Mindy looked at him dubiously with a raised eyebrow.

Danny started to stammer and gesture wildly. "I-I mean, you'll, you know. I'll always, uh, be here for you because I'm-I'm your friend and that's what friends do." He lowered his hands in his lap and sighed. "I love you, Min."

"Aww, Danny. You big softie!" She leaned towards him to give him a hug.

Danny started to protest. "Nah, no. Min, I'm good." But he was too late. Mindy already had her arms around his neck. "I love you too, Dan." She pulled away and smiled at him. "Thanks for the food, by the way. And thanks for keeping me company tonight." Mindy turned to face the TV.

"No problem." He grabbed his plate off the table and with a mouth full of food, he asked, "So what are we watching?"

"When Harry Met Sally," Mindy said excitedly.

"Ugh, not this movie again!"

"Hey, no complaining! I'm the one who got broken up with tonight."

"Fine...Just don't be surprised if I fall asleep like half way through."

"Deal."

* * *

Harry was running through the streets of New York on New Year's Eve when Mindy felt a heaviness on her left shoulder. She looked over and saw Danny sleeping with his head resting on her . She cracked a small smile and returned her attention to the movie.

When the movie was over, she turned off the TV. With Danny still on her shoulder, she imagined different scenarios in which she could get out of this. She could carefully try to get up, let Danny sleep on the couch, and go back to her bedroom. She could just stay where she was and hope that sleep would overtake her. Or she could wake Danny up. She yawned and realized she was more tired than she thought. _I'll just take a quick nap before I figure this out. A few minutes won't hurt._ She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Mindy woke up all tangled up in something. _What the hell?_ She opened her eyes to find herself curled up next to Danny, legs tangled up in his. She remained as she was, but blinked a few times so her eyes could adjust to her dark surroundings. She doesn't know how this happened, but her head is right under Danny's chin, her two hands under her chin, and Danny's left arm is draped over her back.

She's not entirely uncomfortable, but she sure as hell can't get out of this one. With sleep overtaking her again, she instinctively snuggled closer into Danny, comforted by his warmth. She sighed happily and fell back into a blissful slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm not all that happy with the tone of this chapter. It feels subpar to me, but I'm impatient, and I wanted to post this asap. Comments and suggestions are always welcome (:
> 
> Again, I do not own The Mindy Project nor the characters.

Danny woke up the next morning around 8 am. He stiffened, realizing his surroundings and how Mindy was snuggled into him. He wanted to keep his arms around her, but he didn't want her to wake up to this awkward and somewhat compromising position. He slowly and carefully extricated himself from her legs. As soon as he got up from the couch, he heard Mindy let out an annoyed mumble. It weakened his resolve, and he yearned to lie beside her and hold her again, but he wasn't sure if that would be a good idea.

He wasn't sure about almost anything with Mindy anymore. He knew they were good friends, but he battled with himself from time to time. Over the past few months, he started to feel differently, like something shifted inside of him. He had been fine with being friends for a while, and if he was being honest with himself, it wasn't until Mindy moved in with Tom that he started to feel unnerved and territorial.

Danny always thought Tom wasn't good enough for Mindy. More so now that Mindy told him that Tom accused her of cheating. And every so often, he had felt like he was losing her. It wasn't right or fair to think she was his to have, but he didn't like Tom taking her away from him. He wasn't sure if his emotions meant jealously, protectiveness, love, or what. But one thing is for sure, he missed her and her presence.

In spite of his uncertainty over his feelings, he did his best to be there for her as her friend and as her co-worker, helping her through fights with Tom, keeping her company like he did last night, or helping her with patients.

He snapped out of his reverie when Mindy muttered in her sleep again. He looked around her apartment wondering what to do next. He didn't want to just leave her here and have her wake up alone. He thought about carrying her back to her bedroom, but he wasn't sure if that was crossing a line.

He let out a heavy sigh and headed for the kitchen, settling on making french toast, her favorite.

* * *

When Mindy woke up again, the sunlight coming in through her apartment windows was hitting her in the face. "Ugh, no. Too. Early," she groaned and pulled the throw over her head.

"Hey, you're awake."

At the sound of his voice, Mindy remembered what she had woken up to last night. She threw her eyes open, dramatically flapped the throw out of her face and sat up, eyes scanning her apartment for the voice. Her eyes landed on Danny, who was sitting at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee in one hand, morning newspaper in the other.

Danny flashed a big smile and said, "Good morning."

Mindy tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes and fix her bed head hair. "Uh? Oh, yeah, um, good morning."

"Want some breakfast? I made french toast."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks. Let me just, uh, freshen up." Mindy scrambled off the couch, sped-walked to her bathroom, and closed the door behind her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was mildly taken aback. _Man, I look like hell._ She grabbed her hairbrush, tugging at the knots. She continued with her routine, brushing her teeth and washing her face, feeling refreshed.

When she was done, she clutched the edge of the sink with her palms and looked down. _What are you doing, Lahiri? Nothing happened last night. There's nothing to worry about. Don't freak out about this! You and Danny just slept on the same couch. No big deal. Friends always sleep together on the same couch. Pretend like it never happened._ She looked at her reflection again and nodded to herself. You got this. Just act normal. She huffed out a breath of satisfaction and then turned around to exit the bathroom.

* * *

Danny was caught off guard by Mindy's avoidance. He wondered why she was acting so weird, but then he thought about last night. _Maybe she woke up last night and noticed my embrace, legs tangled in mine. That's the only explanation._ He groaned and buried his face in his hands, embarrassed of his involuntarily embrace. He was planning on playing it cool the whole day, but now he wasn't so sure.

Mindy stepped out of the bathroom before he could think about this any further. _Playing it cool it is._

* * *

"Hey! French toast?" Danny held out a plate in her direction.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks." She took the plate and sat down at the opposite side of the island. She looked down at her food and started eating, feeling Danny's eyes on her.

"So, how ya feeling?" "Hm, me? Oh, yeah, I feel okay, considering the circumstances, you know? But, uh, I'll be fine." She looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

"That's great, Min." Danny got up and placed the dirty dishes in the sink. "Well, I'm going to head off."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Mindy silently kicked herself for sounding so desperate.

Danny laughed. "Well, yeah. I mean I assume you have errands to run or want to be alone. I don't want to bother you. I mean, unless you want me to stay."

Mindy fiddled with her food with the fork. "Could you? If I'm left alone, I'll just drink, pass out on the couch and wake up with red wine all over myself. Remember that one time I thought I've been shot after waking up with wine all over me. I cannot have a repeat of that night." She didn't like asking him to stay with her, but she couldn't bear to be alone either. "I'll even take you out to lunch as a thank you!"

Danny chuckled. "Sure, Min."

Mindy beamed. "Great! Where do you want to go?"

"How 'bout that sushi place a few blocks from here?"

"Sounds great! Let's go!"

He heartily laughed. "Let's go? Min, you're _still_ eating breakfast, number one. And number two, you're barely properly dressed to go out."

"Uh, how dare you? I'm adorable. I look like Keira Knightly running errands."

He let out a small chuckle. "Okay. Well, I have a couple of things to take care of, but I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick you up for lunch. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds great." She walked him to the door. "Thanks, again, Danny. I really appreciate this."

"Of course, Min. Anytime." He kissed her on the cheek, itching to touch her again, opened the door and left, closing the door behind him. Mindy brought her hand up to touch the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her. She felt a smile forming and her stomach fluttered in excitement. She let herself smile as she headed towards her bathroom to get ready.

* * *

 _She didn't act weird at all. Maybe I was just imagining it._ He pushed the thought out of his head as he walked out of her apartment building. He smiled, inhaling the crisp New York air. They had been seeing less of each other lately because of Tom, and he'd been feeling empty and incomplete. Just thinking about their day ahead warmed his entire body with happiness. She made him happy. _Really_ happy. His smile continued to grow as he continued to walk down her street, feeling the warmth radiating from his skin.

He returned to her apartment two hours later. He stopped squarely in front of her door, took a deep breath, and knocked. Mindy swung the door open. "Hey, Danny. Come on in." _Damn, he looks good._

He had to take a moment to gather himself. She looks so beautiful. Even in a pair of jeans and a denim button down shirt, she looks great. He took a breath and walked in. "You ready?"

"Yeah, I just need to grab a couple of things." Mindy retreated into the bedroom.

Danny shifted in his stance and looked around her apartment, unsure with what to do with himself while she was away. She quickly reappeared. "Ready!"

"Great!" Danny held the door open for her and let her walk out first.

Mindy walked out with Danny trailing behind her. It was a silent walk to the elevator and a silent elevator ride. It wasn't until they exited the building did they talk.

"So you gonna be okay, Min?"

"Yeah, I will be eventually." Mindy slid her right arm into Danny's left. "I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I don't know. Maybe I'll take a break from dating or something. But let's talk about less depressing things like my dating life. What's new with you, Danny?"

"Nothing much. You know me, Min. Same routine of a life."

"Seriously? Not even a date or anyone you wanna tell me about?"

Danny smirked. "Well, there is someone."

"A-ha! I knew it. Spill."

"There's nothing to spill...and, hey! What do you mean you knew it?"

"I don't know. You just seem happier than usual. I figured there was someone." She looked at him and smiled. "So, tell me about her. What's she like?" Mindy wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She felt this unfamiliar jealousy knowing that he had someone in his life he didn't tell her about, but she was his friend. She wanted to support him, and she wanted him to be happy.

"What's she like?" He rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. He was getting nervous."Well, she makes me happy, that's for sure. She's….bright, optimistic, caring, unapologetically herself, and completely in love with pop culture, romantic comedies, and gossip." Mindy unlinked her arm from Danny's.

He slowed down to a stop and turned to face her. She was confused yet hopeful, wondering if he was talking about her. _He is talking about me, right?_ "She's my best friend, but I want something more. I'm kind of in with love her." Danny stared at her intensely, hoping it would clue her in.

Mindy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked at him incredulously. "In-in love...with her?" She swallowed hard, her mind going a hundred miles a minute.

"Yeah, and I know this is sudden and moving pretty fast, so she may not be ready...but I couldn't wait any longer, and I need her to know." He let out a small chuckle, hoping to ease the tension.

 _Whoa_. She was speechless. Of course, she loved him as a friend, as a best friend. But as something more like a boyfriend? She wasn't sure. There were times when she questioned their borderline non-platonic exchanges, but nothing ever went beyond that. She looked at him, really looked at him. She saw the sincerity, happiness, and most importantly, _love_ in his eyes. It scared her.

"I-I don't know, Danny. I love you, you know that I do, but…," she sighed and looked down at her hands. "As more than just friends? I'm not sure. I mean, Tom just broke up with me, I'm an emotional wreck already. Please, just give me some time."

Danny nodded. He was certainly disappointed, but he didn't expect Mindy to accept it right away. "Of course." He turned to look at the restaurant down the street. "Come on. Let's go get some lunch."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is pretty short, but the next chapters up ahead are fairly long. Hope you like it! Thanks for reading everyone. I really appreciate your reviews. It means a lot to me! (:
> 
> Again, I don't own The Mindy Project nor its characters

Lunch went well given the slightly tense and awkward exchange they’d had. It was normal and easy, ribbing each other like they always did. They talked about work and how Morgan was still trying to get Tamra to go out with him, about a couple of worrisome patients, and about Richie and Rishi. They laughed and had a good time.

When they reached Mindy’s stoop, Mindy paused before unlocking the door to her building. “Danny, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you an answer before.” She started shaking her head. “You must hate me.”

“Hey, don’t say that. I don’t hate you. I’ll always be here for you, Min. No matter what, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Danny...For everything.” She gave him a smile and walked inside, not looking back to see Danny’s look of disappointment on his face.

* * *

As soon as Mindy closed the door to her apartment, she leaned against the door and slid down. She sighed heavily and put her head in her hands, letting the tears stream down her face. The past two days had been an emotional roller coaster. Her ex-boyfriend broke up with her, Danny was in love with her now, and now she could see what Tom had meant when he said there might be someone else. She was so overwhelmed and felt emotionally drained.

She leaned her head back against the door and wiped her cheeks with her fingers. She started to imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship with him. She could see it; she could definitely see it. An overwhelming sense of contentment overcame her as she imagined them coming home, having dinner together, and waking up next to him.

Being with him was also easy. She never had to change who she was or struggle to make conversation with him, and she knew him so well. He accepted her for who she is. She hadn’t realized that in spite of everything she’s been through, he had always been there for her. He was like her rock, a constant in her life, his rationality against her impulsivity.

She was happy with him. She felt like herself around him.

However, the idea of a romantic relationship with him scared the hell out of her. If it didn’t work out for whatever reason, she couldn’t live with herself. Losing Danny as a best friend was simply not an option for her. He meant way too much to her.

_Am I willing to put it all on the line?_

* * *

It’s been two weeks since the breakup and the lunch with Mindy. Seeing her on a daily basis was awkward, but he respected her and gave her space. It didn’t mean he liked it though. He had worn his heart on his sleeve that day, opening up to her, putting his feelings out there, and he’d gotten rejected. Well, not completely rejected, but it sure felt like it.

Seeing her every day at work just reminded him of what had happened. Sometimes he wanted to stay home or hide in his office just so he didn’t have to face her. Every time she barged into his office to talk to him about a worrisome patient or a work related issue, he tensed up. With each passing day, he felt a sense of emptiness and coldness looming over him, like their friendship was on pause or something. He couldn’t stand it. He had originally hated Mindy barging into his office to talk about the latest gossip, but now, he craved it.

Three weeks after his declaration, Danny was relieved of his anticipation. It was a Friday night, and Danny heard a knock on his apartment door. _Who’s that?_ He looked through his peephole.

Mindy.

He paused in front of the door, unsure if he could handle what she was here to say to him. If she completely rejected him, he wouldn’t know what he would do.

Mindy knocked again, yelling through the door, “Danny! Danny, open up. I know you’re in there. I can hear you breathing through the door.”

He sighed. _No point in avoiding her_. He unlocked the door and swung It open. He didn’t know what to say, so he just stood there.

“Hey,” Mindy breathed.

“Hey.”

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah, of course.” Danny moved aside for her to come in. She swiftly walked in and headed towards the couch. He caught a trace of the perfume she was wearing. _She’s going to be the death of me, I just know it._

He shut the door, turning around to see Mindy pacing back and forth, eyebrows wrinkled together, breathing heavily. He cautiously walked closer to her. “So…Are you here for what I think you’re here for?”

Mindy nodded. “Yeah. Danny, listen. I’m just gonna be honest with you.”

He bent his head down and stiffened his posture, preparing himself for the rejection he was sure was coming next. “I think if we were in a relationship, it’d be great. I’m sure we’ll annoy each other to no end. I mean we do that anyway, but I can see it. I can really see it. You’re my best friend.”

He darted his head up to look at Mindy to see if she was serious, to see if she was really saying these words. He saw her holding back tears, and it worried him. Mindy’s voice softened as she struggled to speak. “But if it somehow didn’t work out, I couldn’t deal with that.You mean too much to me. I don’t want to lose you, Danny.” Her voice cracked, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

He took her in to embrace and comfort her, and she immediately began to cry. She desperately clutched onto the front of his shirt, and her tears started to dampen his shirt.

“Min. To be honest, I’m scared too. I don’t want to lose you either, but if we did this, it could be the best thing that could happen. We’re _so damn good_ together, Min...but if you don’t want to do this, then fine. We’ll continue to be friends, and I’ll find a way to move on. But if there’s some part of you that wants this too, I think we should at least try it.”

Mindy sniffled and nodded into his shirt. “I do. I do want this.”

“Okay, then that’s it.” Danny kissed the top of her head. “We’ll just take it slow and see how it goes. No pressure, no expectations, okay?”

Mindy pulled away, arms still wrapped around him. She smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

Danny cupped her face, thumb grazing the side of her cheek. He leaned forward to capture her lips. Mindy grasped his shirt and sighed into him, relaxing in his embrace. He pulled back to rest his forehead on Mindy’s. “We’re gonna be fine.”

Mindy’s smile grew and a sense of completeness and happiness washed over her as she simply nodded when he kissed her again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another fairly short chapter, but don't worry guys! Longer and better chapters up ahead! and OMG PALEYFEST YOU GUYS. CHRIS MESSINA IS THE SWEETEST. As I didn't love him enough.
> 
> Hope you like this chapter! Comments & suggestions always welcomed (:
> 
> I don't own The Mindy Project nor its characters.

They hadn't been dating for very long, but to their surprise, the relationship was going well so far.

She was happy with Danny, but she'd been feeling uneasy about one thing. When her relationship with Danny began, she was a couple of days late. At first, she blamed the stress and unpredictability of being a doctor; however, when a couple of days turned into a week, she started to get worried and quickly took a pregnancy test.

She sat on the edge of her bathtub, hands covering her face, knees shaking up and down in nervousness. The timer she set went off, indicating the pregnancy test was ready. Her head shot up, eyes settling immediately on the test resting on the sink. She took a deep breath and reached out to grab it. She closed her eyes to try to calm herself down, preparing for whatever the pregnancy test might say. When she opened her eyes, she saw exactly what she thought she would see.

Pregnant.

She placed the test next to her and put her elbows on her thighs, face in her hands. _How did this happen? What am I going to do?_ That was the least of her worries. She and Danny had sex, but she couldn't have possibly gotten pregnant by him if her missed period was any indication. However, she wasn't sure. She couldn't think clearly, and the dates just started to blur together in her mind. She immediately called her OB/GYN to set up an appointment.

Three days later, with a sonogram in hand, she walked into her dark apartment. As soon as the door was behind her, she leaned against the door, closing it shut, and crumpled to the floor. She let out a cry letting the realization that she was pregnant with Tom's baby overcome her. _How am I going to tell Tom? How am I going to tell Danny?_ She didn't know how, but she knew she had to do it right away. She couldn't keep something like this from him.

She slid her free hand into her pocket to retrieve her phone. With a few swipes, the phone on the other line was ringing.

"Hey, Min. What's going on?"

"Danny?" Mindy quivered out.

"Min? Min, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Could-could y-you come over? I-I need to t-talk t-to you." She heard Danny on the other side bustling around.

"Yeah, of course, I'll be there in 15 minutes, okay? Don't go anywhere."

"Okay." The phone beeped, and she couldn't bring herself to move. She raised her knees to her chest and started to cry.

* * *

She was awoken by the door jolting against her back. "Mindy? Mindy, please open up." She slowly rose to her feet, not caring to wipe the tendrils of hair patched on her damp cheeks, and opened the door.

He took a step towards her, swept her hair away from her face and wiped the tears with his thumb as he said, "Min, what's going on? Please, babe, please talk to me."

Mindy cried even harder and put her arms around Danny's neck, burrowing her face into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and started to rub circles on her back as his eyebrows furrowed in worry and confusion. She felt safer now that Danny was there. She cried for a good five minutes before mumbling something into his chest, but he couldn't hear it. He pulled back and wiped more tears off her face.

"Min?"

"Dan-Danny. I-I'm pr-preg-pregnant."

"Yo-you're pregnant? Are-are you sure?"

Mindy slowly nodded and handed him the sonogram she was still clutching tightly.

"Oh." He slowly took the sonogram from her and examined it closely. Judging the size of the fetus, he knew she was about one and a half months along, which was way longer than they had been together.

"Is it Tom's?"

She nodded. "Yeah…"

"Are you going to tell him?" The air in the room suddenly got thick.

"Eventually...But, Danny, What are we gonna do? How do you feel about all this? This obviously wasn't expected for both of us. We haven't been dating for very long. How are we going to handle this?" She sighed defeatedly.

"I-I don't know." Danny moved closer to her and hugged her tightly.

She sighed again and softly said, "I don't know either." She breathed in his familiar scent, relishing his warmth, but he let her go momentarily. He saw that her eyes were tired and puffy from crying, so he said, "Come on, Min. You need to get some rest."

She simply nodded, not having the energy to disagree with him. After she changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas, he tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead.

"Danny?" she said softly.

"Yeah, Min?"

"Can you stay with me for a while?"

"Of course." He crawled into bed with her, snuggling himself close to Mindy, who nestled perfectly under his chin. She breathed in his familiar cologne and drifted off to sleep.

After a few moments, Danny heard her breathing evenly. He knew she had fallen asleep. He waited some time before he carefully extricated himself from her and left her apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh god, those recent spoilers made me super emotional LOL three more days!
> 
> This chapter is just a continuation of the previous chapter when Danny leaves Mindy. Hope you enjoy! Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and leaving reviews. It means so much to me! Thank you! (:

He knew it wasn't the best thing to abandon Mindy. Okay, it was the worst thing he could do, but he panicked. He just had to leave and clear his head to figure out his feelings and what he wants. He really liked Mindy, that much he knew. He thought he even loves her.

However, now that she's pregnant with someone else's baby, he's not sure where he stands in her life. He needed some time and space to figure things out.

After he left Mindy's apartment, he just started walking, letting his feet dictate his destination. He started to think about their relationship, how much she means to him, what it would be like to raise a child with her, what it would be like to lose Mindy if she went back to Tom to raise the baby, and what it would be like to see them raise their child from the sidelines.

He thought about the times in his life when Mindy wasn't around. He'd been so miserable. There was something about the way she lit up his life that he couldn't shake. She made him extremely happy. Now that they're together, he couldn't stand losing her and having his life revert to misery. Simply thinking about it made him cringe and feel incomplete. He needed her in his life. She had given him everything even if he hadn't asked for it. She became his friend, gave him a relationship with his father back, and a more colorful life.

But Mindy having Tom's baby complicated things. Having a baby was definitely not in the cards for them, at least at this point in their relationship. He didn't let his mind wander very often, but when he did, he could really see him and Mindy getting married and having kids. He could see him coming home from a long day of work, kissing Mindy hello, and having his little girl run into him arms, yelling, "Daddy, you're home!" He smiled and warmed at the thought.

_Is that possible with a child who isn't even mine? Will Mindy and Tom let me be a part of the child's life? Do I even want to be a part of the child's life?_ He thought about it for a long time. He wasn't sure how parenting responsibilities would go or how custody would turn out, but he was at least willing to help Mindy raise the baby if she needed him or wanted him to or if Tom wasn't willing to help. He needed to go back to Mindy's apartment.

He immediately turned around and headed straight back.

* * *

Mindy woke up a couple of hours later to a cold and empty bed. An unbearable feeling of sadness, rejection and failure washed over her when she noticed Danny's absence. She started to cry again as she wondered why he would leave her here alone especially at a time like this.

Her ears perked up when she heard her apartment door open and close. She saw Danny at her bedroom doorway in a matter of seconds.

Mindy sat up in surprise. "Danny? What are you doing here? I thought you left."

He strode over and knelt beside her. "I did but only because I was scared. I know that doesn't make it okay, but I didn't know what I wanted and how this was going to work out. I panicked, so I left. But I realize it was wrong to leave you here alone.

"Min, I'm scared out of my mind. I don't know what role I'm going to play in the baby's life, but all I know is that I want to be there as much as you let me. I want to be with you, and I don't want to lose you." He took her hands and gently squeezed them. "I'm not going anywhere, Min, okay? I'm going to be here with you through everything whether Tom is in the picture or not."

Tears were running down her face again as she nodded and hugged him. "Okay."

"So, are you going to do this? Do you _want_ to do this, Min?" Mindy pulled away from him and stared at her hands settled on her lap.

"I do want to do this. And I want to do this with you, but to be honest, I'm scared too, Danny. We've only been together for a couple of weeks, and this baby isn't even yours. How are we going to handle this? How is Tom going to react and-and how much is he going to be involved, if he's involved at all? And I've always wanted kids, but what if I'm not a good mother, Danny?

"I-I eat cereal out of wine glasses and-and as much as I love Riley, I don't know what to do with her most of the time. Remember when Gwen broke her arm? I patted Riley's face to comfort her. I'm scared, and I don't know if I can do this." She lowered and shook her head in slight shame for admitting that she's scared of something she has always wanted.

"Babe, it's okay to be scared, but you have no reason to be, you hear me? I know this came as a surprise, but I'm going to be there and help you as much as you need me to be, and oh my god. Min, you're going to be an amazing mom."

Mindy scoffed at this. He reached out to place his fingers under her chin to raise her head to look at him.

"No, Min, I'm not lying. You're going to be a wonderful mother. I have no doubts about that. I've seen you treat your patients, especially those with complications, with care and love. You only want the best for them, and-and I know that you're going to love this baby more than anything in the world. This baby is so lucky to have you as its mother, Min. We're going to be just fine. We're in this together."

"Then, yeah. Okay. Let's do it."

Danny flashed his widest smile in happiness. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Mindy leaned in to give Danny a quick kiss, but he deepened the kiss and breathed her in. She slightly whimpered when she felt his tongue trace her bottom lip. She smiled into the kiss and started to suck his lips hungrily until….

"Hmm, Danny?" Danny grunted in annoyance. "I'm gonna throw up on you if you don't stop kissing me."

Danny quickly pulled away, and Mindy darted off to the bathroom. He laughed at her candidness, smiling at the level of comfort they shared with each other. He stood up, walked to her bathroom, and knocked on the door.

"Go away, Danny. You don't need to see me throwing up!"

He chuckled. "Not a chance, Min." He opened the door and went straight to the small wash cloth that was neatly folded on her bathroom shelf. He ran it under cool water and grabbed a hair clip from the bottom drawer underneath the sink. He knelt beside her to clip her hair up and away from her face. Then he pressed the damp cloth on the back of her neck and rubbed her back.

She got up to rinse her mouth. "Ugh," she groaned. She sat back down, leaning against the bathtub before feeling another wave of nausea come over her. Danny took a seat on her right and continued to press the damp washcloth to Mindy's forehead. "Thanks," she mumbled. She rested her head on Danny's shoulder. He gently placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Stay here, I'm gonna grab some ginger ale and crackers for you." He gently squeezed her hand and stood up.

Mindy scoffed. "Yeah, like I'm going anywhere in this state, Castellameo."

He softly chuckled. "Yeah, well, just making sure." Danny lightly kissed her forehead and made his way to her kitchen. She beamed up at him, lucky to have him by her side.

He came back, handing her the bottle of ginger ale. "Thanks." She twisted the cap and sipped some of the ale while he sat back down in his spot next to her. She returned her head on his shoulder.

"So...when are you going to tell Tom?"

Mindy sighed and instinctively rested her left hand on her barely there baby bump. "I don't know, but soon."

Danny nodded. "Well, I'll be there if you need me."

She turned to face him, reaching out to intertwine her fingers with his, and smiled. "I know."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: From here on out, I'll be updating every day. The remaining chapters have not been beta'd, so if there are any mistakes, it's all on me. I'm getting impatient and unmotivated to keep rereading and revising this fic, so I just want to publish asap. Also school will be starting soon, so I won't be having as much time to beta, etc anyways. I hope you enjoy reading this fic! Thank you to those reading and commenting. It just warms my heart. Two more days until TMP returns! Can't wait! (:

Mindy was pacing back and forth in front of Tom's apartment door. She so badly wanted to turn the other way and come back in six and a half months with a baby than do this right now. She quickly knocked on the door before she could talk herself out of it.

Tom opened the door and upon seeing Mindy, he grimaced.

"Ugh, okay. That's uncalled for, Tom."

"What are you doing here, Mindy?"

"Can I come in and talk to you? This is important." Tom sighed and moved aside so she could pass. He closed the door and turned around to face Mindy.

"I'm pregnant," she quickly blurted out. She slightly gasped in shock at how the words left her mouth on their own accord.

Tom slightly leaned forward, mouth hanging in surprise. "Pre-pregnant? W-with my child?"

Mindy nodded. "Yeah, but Tom, I'm not expecting anything from you. I don't expect us to raise this child together, I don't expect you to provide support, or anything. I just wanted to let you know in case you want to be in the baby's life."

He nervously ran his hands through his hair. "I-I don't, um. How-how far along are you?

"Two and a half months."

"T-two and a half months. Wow, okay. Can-can I think about this...for a while? I, uh, can't quite wrap my head around this."

"Yeah, yeah of course. Just, uh, call me when you're ready. You have my number. I'll show myself out." Mindy just opened the door when Tom said, "Mindy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for telling me."

"Of course." She walked out of his apartment, smiling to herself, feeling proud for doing this by herself.

* * *

 

Mindy entered her apartment and threw her keys onto the table next to the door.

"Hey, babe," yelled Danny, who was in the kitchen, making lunch. "How'd it go?"

"Hey." Mindy walked over to him and kissed him hello. "Pretty good, actually." She took a seat at the kitchen island, watching Danny move around the kitchen. "I mean, he was shocked, but that was expected."

"What did he say?"

"I told him that I'm not expecting anything from him and that if he wants to be a part of the baby's life, he can. He said he'll get back to me."

"Do you think he'll want to be a part of the baby's life, the doctor's appointments and stuff?"

"Hmm, I don't know. It was hard to tell. I guess we'll find out when he calls."

"Yeah, I guess so. You hungry? I made some pasta."

"God, yes, I'm starving, Danny." He set down a plate of pasta in front of her, and she started to eat enthusiastically, tearing chunks of bread to dip into the pasta sauce. "Man, this baby likes to eat."

Danny laughed. "Just like it's mother."

"Hey! Rude," she exclaimed as she threw a piece of bread at him, which he expertly dodged.

* * *

 

It'd been a week since Mindy talked to Tom, and she was getting worried. Her 12 week scan was coming up, and even though she wasn't sure if Tom wanted to be there, she figured she had to at least give him the chance.

She dialed his number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tom, it's me, Mindy."

"Listen, Mindy, I haven't-I haven't quite figured out how I feel about all this."

"Tom, it's okay. I was just calling to let you know that my 12 week scan is next week. You don't have to be there if you don't want to, but I thought you might want to know."

"Eh, I don't know, Mindy."

"It's next Wednesday at 2 at St. Brendan's. If you can or want to be there, then please, come. If not, then...I guess we'll know how you feel about everything. No pressure, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I guess so. I'll, uh, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye." She hung up the phone and sighed. _I guess we'll see what happens._

* * *

 

Danny was spending the night at Mindy's apartment on Tuesday night, the night before the 12 week scan. It was a rare moment that they were in bed at the same time since they were busy doctors, but they enjoyed moments like these. They were watching another one of Mindy's favorite romantic comedies. He learned never to fight Mindy on which romcom movie she wanted to watch, especially now that she's hormonal and pregnant.

Danny was barely paying attention to the movie because he loved watching Mindy watch her favorite movies. He found it amusing and endearing that no matter how many times she'd watched a movie like this, she still laughed, cried, and sighed in contentment at all the right moments.

For the past month, he'd been spending more time at Mindy's apartment. Mostly because he loved to be with her, but a part of him didn't want to leave her alone because she was pregnant. He wanted to be around for every pregnancy milestone and if, god forbid, anything happened to her, he'd be there to help her. He'd been waiting for the right moment to broach the subject of moving in together.

He loved staying over. If their schedule allowed it, they would both go to Mindy's apartment after work, and he'd start preparing dinner for the two of them. He loved cooking for Mindy and playfully scolding her for stealing some food item he was using for dinner that night. They'd eat dinner at the dining table, or the kitchen island if they were feeling particularly lazy, and just talk. It was effortless and nice. Then they'd snuggle up and watch a movie or a Ken Burns' documentary and go to sleep.

He wanted nights like this for the rest of his life. He enjoyed them, and it was easy. He had never felt such comfortableness with another person, even with Christina.

When the credits started to roll, Mindy turned off the TV. "God, I'm _exhausted_." She leaned over to kiss Danny on the cheek and shifted her body to find a comfortable spot. "Good night, Danny."

"Hey, Min?"

"Hmm?" Her voice was light and dreamy. He could tell she was slowly succumbing to sleep, and he was losing his chance.

"Do you, maybe, um, want to move in together? In-in a new apartment?"

Mindy opened her eyes and sat up to get a better look at him. "Danny, what are you talking about?"

"I mean, like...finding a new and bigger apartment for us to live in. I mean, I'm here most of the time anyway, and you're going to need a new place to live in when the baby comes. A one-bedroom apartment can't accommodate a baby, so I kind of...figured to put the two together."

"Oh, yeah...I hadn't thought about that." Her face scrunched up in concentration, trying to figure out her living situation when the baby arrived.

"So, what do you think?"

"Hm, what?"

"About moving in together, Mindy."

"Oh! Right, um. Are you sure?"

"What do you mean? Of course, I'm sure, Mindy. I'm the one who suggested it."

"No, I know. I-I just think...Danny, we'll drive each other crazy. I mean, I'll have all my stuff lying everywhere and then you'll get mad and yell at me for not picking up my stuff. Or you'll get upset because I'll be blasting Beyoncé or some other pop star you hate in morning while I get ready."

"So you don't want to move in together?"

"No, Dan-"

"No, Min. It's fine." He started to get up from the bed. "I get it. You don't want to move in together because you think it wouldn't work out."

"Danny, I wasn't-"

Danny ran his hand through his hair. "I'll, uh, see you later, Min." With that, he walked out of the bedroom.

Mindy heard the lock click, and she sat there, wondering what just happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: THE NEWEST SNEAK PEAK. I LITERALLY DIED OF DANDY CUTENESS AND ADORABLENESS AND LOVE. UGH I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. But until then, here's another chapter to hopefully tide you over lol I haven't read this chapter over that much because I'm still high off dandy feels from that video, but when I return to my normal state, I'll read it over and fix any mistakes haha
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and giving me reviews! It makes me really happy. Thanks everyone. You're great (:

Mindy couldn’t sleep that night, constantly tossing and turning. When she couldn’t find a comfortable position to sleep in, she huffed in frustration, settling on lying on her back. She stared at the ceiling.

She was angry. Indignant even. _How dare he think he knew exactly what I was thinking? Like who said I think it wouldn’t work out? He didn’t even let me explain._

She replayed the conversation in her head, and it only made her angrier. _I’m going to give him a piece of my mind._ She threw off her comforter and headed to her closet to change into a pair of leggings and a hoodie. She left her apartment, nostrils flared, ready to yell at him.

* * *

Danny came home to a dark apartment and groaned in sadness and frustration. He went straight for his liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot of tequila. The alcohol burned his throat, but it was better than the emotional pain right now. He walked over to the couch and sat down, head resting on the back of the couch, eyes squeezed shut.

He was so sure they were ready for the next step. Sure it was a little fast since they had only been dating for two months, but he was happy with the way things were going; the pregnancy had brought them closer together, and their relationship had grown stronger. He definitely didn’t expect this.

So, when she asked him if he was sure this is what he wanted, it tore him apart. _How could she say that? How could she doubt me? Of course this is what I want._ The uncertainty he heard lingering in her voice sent him over the edge. It was enough of a “no” for him.

* * *

20 minutes later, she was pounding on Danny’s door. “Danny! Danny, open up right now!”

Danny looked at the clock.1 AM. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk to her yet, especially at this time of night. _Wait_. He paused. _Is she angry? Why does she sound so angry?_

He opened the door to find an infuriated Mindy, sporting furrowed eyebrows and a straight lip. “How dare you, jerk?” She forcefully jabbed her index finger into Danny’s chest at the word “jerk” and marched past him, not caring whether he wanted her there or not.

“What?!”

“You heard me! How dare you? You run off without hearing my explanation, and you just _assume_ that I think living together wouldn’t work out just because I asked if you were _sure_?” She crossed her arms in indignation, searing her fueled eyes into Danny’s, challenging him to fight with her.

Danny was getting increasingly furious after every word that left her mouth. He angrily ran his hands in his hair. “Excuse me? What was I supposed to do, Mindy?! I thought you made it perfectly clear you didn’t want to move in together when you started listing all the things that could _possibly_ go wrong,” he spitted out through gritted teeth.

“Hmm, I don’t know, Danny. Wait for an explanation, maybe?! Not run away like a _coward_ , perhaps?!” She knew calling him a coward was below the belt, but she was furious at his inability to talk to her.

Danny scoffed at the word. “Fine! You want to explain? Let’s hear it,” he challenged.

“Fine.” She uncrossed her arms and raised them to straighten her hair, before dropping them at her side. “I was going to say that yeah, I’m unsure about it. We’ve only been dating for two months, and I didn’t want to ruin what we have. I was just scared that moving in together will make us fight more than we already do, which isn’t a lot.” She took a step closer to him, invading his personal space.

“Are you kidding me?” Danny bellowed. “It still sounds like you’re still saying no, Mindy.”

“Just let me finish, okay?”

“Alright, okay. I’m sorry, please continue.” He gestured for her to continue.

“Thank you. Danny, all of that doesn’t mean I don’t want us to move in together. I do want to move in together. I am willing to give it a shot, but I need to know that you’re sure about this, Danny. I know you. When you get mad or scared, you just close up, and you don’t talk to me, and then you run away. You never tell me what you’re feeling until after the fact.”

Her voice softened, but still thick with sadness. “Just look at tonight, Danny. You got angry, closed up, and didn’t let me explain. The night I told you I was pregnant, you ran away.” The atmosphere in the room shifted as sadness and vulnerability replaced anger as she gazed at him with sadness and pain in her eyes.

“I don’t want us to move in together and see you get mad or misinterpret something and run away or avoid me because we couldn’t communicate.”

He dropped his head low and sighed. She was right, and he knew it. He certainly wasn’t planning on running and he didn’t want to, but he knew himself; he would panic and retreat if things got too difficult. He has always had a tendency to close up to avoid difficult things.

“What if one night you don’t come back, Danny? I can’t and don’t want to be waiting for the other shoe to drop when you realize that this isn’t what you really want or that you regret moving too fast. I can’t bear knowing there’s a possibility that one day I’ll be in our home, waiting for you to come back when you really won’t. I just can’t do that, Danny. I can’t...” Her voice cracked as she whispered those words. She briefly looked away from him as she wiped away the tears falling down the sides of her cheeks. He couldn’t bear seeing the pain in her eyes and being the cause of it.

“What I want? Mindy,” his voice softened as he sweetly whispered her name. “For the longest time, all I have ever wanted was to be with you. And now that I am, I can’t imagine my life without you. Before you, I thought my life was as good as it was going to get, and I was okay with that. But now, I could never go back to that. Leaving you is the one thing I would never do to you or to me. Mindy...I-I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”

He closed the gap between them, taking her hands and lacing his fingers with hers. “I do close up, and I know I can’t communicate sometimes, but I’m never going to abandon you. Yeah, I admit there will be times when I will close up, but that’s because I’m still struggling with how to deal with my feelings. I know that doesn’t excuse anything, but it’s true.

“Do you know how long and how much I have struggled with my feelings towards you? It took me months to even accept the fact that no matter how hard I tried, you have become my friend, crawling your way into every aspect of my life.

“And when you dated guy after guy, I found myself getting increasingly jealous and wanting you to be with me instead of those jerks. I was so scared because I couldn’t understand it. But when I realized I love you, that was it. Sometimes, I still get scared that one day you’ll realize that I’m not who you want anymore, but that’s stupid because everyday you show me differently.

He took her face in his hands, thumbing the tears flowing down her face. “I love you, Min, I love you so much. I have never been more sure about anything than about us and us moving in together. Nothing is ever going to change that, not even you singing One Direction, leaving your clothes everywhere, taking up the entire sink counter with your ten different moisturizers, or burning down our kitchen when you try to bake cookies.” Danny gave her his signature smirk.

A small giggle escaped Mindy’s throat.” Danny...You said One Direction.”

He chuckled. “That’s all you got from this? I give you this crazy romantic speech, and that’s it?”

She pursed her lips in playful disgruntlement. “No...and I love you too.”

Danny grinned from ear to ear. “You love me?”

“Yeah, okay, don’t let your head get crazy big.”

He laughed.“Okay, I’ll try not to. Let’s move in together, Min.”

Mindy flashed her widest smile. She whispered, “Let’s move in together.” He bent down to kiss her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, closing the space between them, as he led them to his bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: HAPPY TMP TUESDAY WOOHOO! THE DAY IS HERE, THE SUN IS OUT, THE MINDY PROJECT IS ON TONIGHT WITH TWO NEW EPISODES. For shame if you miss these new episodes.
> 
> Here's the new chapter! I personally feel like it's meh, but I guess you can say it's a transitional chapter because the next two chapters is where the good stuff is. I don't mean smut by the way lol Also I have like zero knowledge on what happens during ultrasounds, etc, etc, so I'm sorry if this is inaccurate. If it is, let me know and I'll try to fix it (:
> 
> Anyways, have fun watching TMP tonight! You guys are amazing, I'm so happy to be a part of this fandom (:

Mindy was clad in a hospital gown, sitting on the edge of the exam table, legs swinging back and forth.

“Stop swinging your legs, Min. You’re making me nervous.”

“I’m nervous, okay? Tom may or may not be coming, and this 12 week scan is important. You of all people should know that.”

Before Danny could respond, they heard a light knock on the door.

“Come in!” They simultaneously said, locking eyes and exchanging a small chuckle.

Tom peaked through the crack of the door.

Mindy straightened her posture. “Tom. You’re here.”

He hesitantly walked in. “Hey, Mindy. Yeah, it didn’t feel right not being here, so I figured I’d come.”

“Oh...well. I’m glad you’re here. You remember Danny?”

Danny stood up to shake hands with Tom. “Tom, nice to see you.”

“Yeah, you too. So...are you guys together or something?”

Mindy was hoping she could avoid this topic. She started to stammer, but Danny cut her off. “Yeah, I’m her boyfriend, and I’m going to help her raise the baby.”

“Hm, figures.”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, Danny. Just let it go,” Mindy interrupted.

They heard a knock on the door, and Dr. Riley walked in. “Good afternoon, Dr. Lahiri. Oh, who do you have with you today?”

“Well, this is Danny, my boyfriend, who’s also an OB/GYN. And that’s Tom, the father.” They each respectively shook hands with Dr. Riley.

“Pleasure to meet you both. So, how are you feeling, Dr. Lahiri? Any nausea? Discomfort?”

“Sometimes. My morning sickness has been mild, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Perfect. Well, why don’t we get started on your gynecological exam and then the ultrasound?”

“Great!” Mindy shifted her body to get comfortable on the exam table. Even though she knew the routine of the exam as she had conducted it numerous times, she was still nervous. She obviously wanted the baby to be healthy, but she was mostly nervous about Danny and Tom being in the same room. The atmosphere was getting awkward and tense.

Danny held her hand and stood beside her the entire time while Tom sat in a chair a little behind Mindy’s head. When Dr. Riley started the ultrasound, moving the wand over Mindy’s small baby bump, the baby’s heartbeat echoed throughout he room.

Mindy gasped in delight upon hearing the heartbeat and seeing the fetus on the monitor. She didn’t need Dr. Riley to say a thing when Mindy exclaimed, “Danny, look! Look at the small limbs and the heart!”

“It’s unbelievable, Min.” He really couldn’t believe it. He’d seen so many ultrasounds, he couldn’t keep count. But this one he’ll never forget it. This baby isn’t even his, and he felt so much love for it. The warmth pooled in his chest as he kissed Mindy’s temple.

“Well, Dr. Lahiri, Danny, Tom, looks like the baby is just fine. I’ll take some screenshots and give each of you a copy of the ultrasound. I’ll be back.”

Mindy breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Dr. Riley.”

Tom felt excluded and unattached. Mindy and Danny seemed like the perfect little family, and he was just there. He wasn’t sure about coming here today and seeing Mindy and Danny together just solidified his attitude towards Mindy’s pregnancy.

“Listen…” Mindy and Danny looked at Tom questioningly. “I don’t think I can be part of this. I’m sorry. I really tried you guys. I just don’t feel like I can belong in this particular family. I think you two are more well suited to raise this baby than I could be. I definitely want to be a part of the baby’s life, but as the father? I don’t think I’m ready for that, I’m sorry.”

Mindy looked a little disappointed, but honestly, she was relieved. Including Tom in this three way parent-ship would be overwhelming and complicated.

“Oh...I’m sorry to hear that, Tom, but I’m glad you were honest. I’m happy you came. I really am, despite everything we’ve been through.”

“Thanks, Mindy.” He gave Mindy a brief hug.

Dr. Riley came back with the copies of the ultrasound and gave them to Mindy, Danny, and Tom. “Thanks for coming in. I’ll see you soon, Dr. Lahiri. Take as much time as you need to get ready.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Mindy faced Tom again. “So, um, can I update you occasionally about the baby?”

“Yeah, I’d love that. Bye, Mindy. Danny.” Tom gave them a small nod and a smile and left the exam room.

Mindy released a long sigh. “How do you feel, Danny?”

He laughed. “Honestly, I feel happy, relieved, surprised, love.”

“Me too.” She leaned in to capture his lips. He responded hungrily, cupping her face and stroking her cheek. He released her lips, resting his forehead on hers. They breathed each other in momentarily.

Danny smiled his widest grin. “I love you so much, Min.”

It seemed like a reflex to Mindy, smiling wide and saying, “I love you too, Danny.”

They were on cloud nine.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WHOA TWO UPDATES WITHIN LIKE 30 MINUTES. THAT'S RIGHT MY FRIENDS LOL In celebration of two new episodes tonight, I'll be updating twice today. I'm so in love with this chapter, I really hope you like it. I'm also in love with chapter 10, which will be up tomorrow. Please feel free leave comments or something. I truly truly appreciate every single one of them. You guys are the best

-Two months later-  
They had finally found a suitable apartment in lower Manhattan near Shulman and Associates. It was a cute three bedroom apartment with a view of Central Park in the distance. It was perfect and just big enough for their growing family. They had closed the deal on the place a week ago, and they had just finished unpacking their respective belongings into their new home.

Mindy stood in the middle of their new living room, one hand on her hip, the other on her protruding belly, assessing their new apartment.

“Not bad, Danny. For a while there, I thought our styles would totally clash ‘cause I’m more of a sophisticated bohemian chic and yours is, well, bland and gray, but this is totally working!” She turned to Danny, who was crushing cardboard boxes near the door, with a teasing smile.

“It was not bland and gray. It was just...simple.” Danny grunted out that last word as he finally collapsed a particularly uncooperative cardboard box. He sighed victoriously and walked over to Mindy’s side to place a kiss on her temple.

“Whatever, old man.”

“Same decade, Min, same decade.”

* * *

Fridays were fairly busy at the practice, so Mindy and Danny hadn’t talked much on this particular July Friday due to their patient load that day. The day was just about done when Danny appeared at her office door.

“Hey, Min, wanna go out for dinner tonight instead of staying in?”

Mindy set down her pen, releasing a tired sigh as she leaned back against her chair. “I don’t know, Danny. I’m not really in a going out kind of mood. This baby is constantly moving and pushing my organs everywhere. I’m just not comfortable.”

He didn’t want to push Mindy into doing something she didn’t want to do especially since she was feeling uncomfortable, but he had a special night planned for them, so he continued to encourage her. “Come on, Min. This is a chance for you do get dressed up and everything. It’s like your favorite thing to do. Besides, you’re going to get even more pregnant, so nights out are definitely dwindling down.”

“You’re such a jerk.” Danny smiled, knowing that his encouragement worked. “Fine, I’ll go.”

“Thanks, Min! I’ll come back in a few minutes, so we can walk to the elevator together."

* * *

Now that his plan was underway, he got nervous and started sweating profusely.

“Danny, stop fidgeting. And why are you sweating so much?! You’re scaring everyone in this subway carriage.”

“Me? I-I’m not sweating. It-It’s just hot in here or something.” He tugged at his shirt collar that was suddenly too close too his neck. He squeaked out, “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Mindy pressed her palm on Danny’s cheek.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

* * *

When they crossed the threshold into their apartment, Mindy headed straight for her walk-in closet in the bedroom, suddenly excited for their date night.

Danny trailed behind her stopping at the bedroom door. “Don’t take too long to get ready, Min. We have to leave at 7:30, so you have two hours to get ready.”

“Only two hours?!” Mindy poked her head out of her closet. “That’s nearly not enough time for me to look fabulous!” She groaned in frustration as she darted past Danny into the hallway for the bathroom to take a shower.

“You look fabulous all the time, Min. You don’t have to worry.”

She approached their bedroom again. “That’s sweet, Danny, thanks.” She placed a quick peck on his lips before she headed into the bathroom again, yelling over her shoulder. “Still not enough time though!”

When he heard her humming in the shower, he took the opportunity to grab the small velvet box in his sock drawer. He sighed in relief knowing it was safe. He carefully placed it in the pocket of his dress pants, so he wouldn’t forget it.

One hour later, Mindy walked out of the bathroom, clad in her comfiest robe, hair and makeup ready to go. Now, all she had to figure out what she was going to wear. She had to pick the perfect dress to flatter her growing belly and the perfect shoes so her feet wouldn’t hurt.

Thirty minutes later, Danny appeared at the closet door, dressed to the nines in a black suit and a navy tie. “Min, you’re not even dressed yet? We’re leaving in thirty minutes.”

“Well, sorry Danny, you don’t know how difficult it is to-” Her mouth dropped opened when she turned around and laid her eyes on Danny.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Danny straightened in nervousness as Mindy took him in.

She strode over to him and tugged slightly at his tie. With a mischievous grin, she said, “Just realizing how handsome and hot my doctor boyfriend is.” She sucked hungrily at his lips, breathing in his cologne. She grunted in frustration when he pulled back.

“Come on, Min. You have to get dressed.”

“Hmph, fine.” Danny grinned at her childlike demeanor. “Danny, what am I going to wear? You don’t know how difficult it is to dress a five month baby bump.”

He sighed and cocked his head at the corner of her closet. “What about that purple dress over there?”

“Purple?! Purple does not look good with this situation,” she quipped back, gesturing to her stomach.

“Well, just choose something. We’re going to be late.”

“Fine, okay. Just let me think about this in peace,” she said, shooing him out of the closet.

She turned around to take in her closet. _Am I in a predicament now._

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Mindy was twisting and turning as much as her body could let her as she examined herself in her full length mirror in her dress. _Not bad for a pregnant woman._ Satisfied, she grabbed her clutch and walked out into the living room where Danny was waiting.

He heard the sound of her heels against the hardwood floor, and he turned around to greet her. His breath caught before he could utter a word. She looked absolutely stunning in her cap sleeved emerald green dress, which hugged her curves in all the right places. The bright green contrasted her dark skin, and her wavy hair flowed over her shoulder, framing her face. She was just glowing.

She looked up to see him staring. “What? Is something wrong with my dress?” She twisted her torso to examine her dress.

“No…” he whispered. “You just...Wow, You look so beautiful.”

Mindy beamed as she walked closer to him. “Thanks, babe. You don’t look so bad yourself,” she said as she pulled on the lapels of his coat, placing a kiss on his lips. He deepened the kiss, which elicited a small moan from her throat, moving his left hand from the pulse point on her neck down to her waist.

He released her lips, much to Mindy’s disappointment. Still slightly out of breath, he breathed, “Dinner?”

She nodded, not quite trusting her voice yet. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, I’m getting hungry and this baby is getting impatient.”

Danny chuckled. “Alright, let’s go.” He drew out his arm for Mindy to take and headed out the door.

* * *

Throughout the dinner, Danny couldn’t control his sweating. He kept wiping his palms against his pants and checking his pant pocket to make sure the ring was there.

Mindy had her suspicions about tonight, but didn’t voice them, not wanting to ruin Danny’s surprise. They hadn’t talked about marriage, but Mindy wasn’t scared of the idea. She was quite frankly excited about the prospect, so she was disheartened when dinner passed with no incident.

They got into a cab, and Danny whispered the address to the cabbie. Mindy stared out the window, not wanting Danny to see the disappointed look on her face.

“Mindy?” He gently squeezed her hand. “Are you okay?”

She put on a brave face and turned to him, giving him a small smile and returning the gentle squeeze. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

When the cab slowed down to a stop, Mindy looked out the window, confused. “Danny, where are we? I thought we were going home.”

“Nope. Come on.” He got out of the cab, still holding Mindy’s hand. She slid down the vinyl seats, gasping as she caught view of where she was.

The Empire State Building.

_Oh, god. It’s happening. It’s going to happen here._

Her spirits were immediately lifted, a smile forming on her lips. “Danny?”

He wrapped his arm around her waist, hand resting on her hip, guiding her to the entrance.

Mindy was speechless, a million thoughts coursing through her mind. Before she knew it, she was a few steps away from the turnstile. “Danny, what are we doing here?” she said with awe lingering in her voice.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Just...wanted to do something romantic tonight.” He puffed his chest in pride and happiness, knowing what would happen on the top of the Empire State Building.

Once they got to the observation deck, Mindy skipped to the edge, taking in the twinkling lights and the bustling life of New York City and the glimmer of the water in the distance. Danny settled next to her, shoulder to shoulder. She threaded her right arm in his left and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Danny. It’s beautiful.” She gave him a quick kiss before returning her gaze out into the city. He kissed the top of her head.

They stood there for a few minutes, just taking in the beauty of the city they loved dearly.

“Mindy?”

“Yeah?” she replied dreamily.

“Mindy, I-” He was interrupted by a woman yelling out “Yes!” and the exploding cheers that followed. They both turned their head to the noise, eyes landing on a hugging couple, who had just gotten engaged.

After the commotion ended, they returned to their previous position and looked out into the city. After a few moments, Mindy spoke up. “Danny, what were you saying earlier?”

“Oh, um...I was-” He deeply sighed before continuing. “I just wanted to say that I love you.”

She noticed the defeat and disappointment in his voice. _He was going to do it. He was going to propose, right here at the Empire State Building_. Unable to mask her disappointment as well, she replied back softly, “I love you too.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Continuation of the previous chapter. I wrote this really short chapter while listening to "Marry Me" by Jason Derulo, so that was the inspiration for Danny's proposal. Lots of fluff :D Hope you like it! (: As always, comments are always welcome.
> 
> And how amazing were FMYI and IBBW?! Mindy & Danny are too cute :3

The cab ride back home was tense. Mindy could feel the frustration radiating from Danny. It pained her that she couldn't do anything to help him, but she firmly grasped his hand, reminding him that she's still with him, that she's not going anywhere.

Danny was extremely disappointed. He felt like a failure. He had everything perfectly planned, but some couple had to get engaged in the same spot at the same time. _Damn that couple._ He certainly could have proposed afterwards, but he didn't want the memory of the proposal to be marred by the engagement of another couple just mere moments before. He wanted it to be perfect, and he wanted Mindy to have the spotlight.

They walked into their apartment, and Danny angrily took off his coat, forcefully hanging it on the coatrack.

Mindy couldn't take it anymore. She didn't like to see him angry. "Danny, is everything alright? Why are you so upset?"

"I'm fine. I'm just…" He put his hands on his hips, stared at the wall to his right, and sighed, not knowing what to say next.

Mindy's protruding belly lightly grazed Danny's stomach when she moved closer to him and fiddled with his coat lapel. She softly whispered, "Danny…Were you going to propose tonight?"

He slowly released his breath, realizing that he could no long hide this from her."Yeah...I was. I had everything planned out and-and I was going to do it on top of the Empire State Building, but that one guy proposed to his girlfriend, and…" He ran his left hand through his hair. "And I couldn't do it. Not like that, Min. I'm sorry." He looked at her with the most devastated look, and it broke her heart.

"Danny…" She closed the space between them, grasped the nape of his neck, threading her fingers through his hair, and tenderly kissed him. "Don't be sorry. I'm not. You can do it right now."

"What? Mindy, no. You don't want to get proposed to in the middle of our living room." He shook his head, refusing to do this here.

"No, I do," she replied softly. "So, Danny. What were you going to say? I literally have no clue what you were talking about." She gave him a smile as encouragement to continue.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair again before placing both hands around her waist. He looked intently and lovingly into her eyes. "Mindy?"

"Yes?"

"Mindy, I love you so much, and I can't imagine living one day without you. I want to wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life; I want to go to sleep next to you every night for the rest of my life; I want to have mixed raced, sweaty babies with you; I want to grow old with you; I want to fight with you over the stupidest things like you dropping towels on our bathroom floor." Mindy sniffled and let out a small chuckle, wiping the tears streaming down.

"You make me the happiest man on the planet, and I'm so goddamn lucky to have you in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve you, and I don't know what possessed you to choose me or love me, but you did. I promise I will spend the rest of my life trying to be the man you deserve and trying to make you happy because you deserve the absolute best. You're my best friend, the love of my life."

He pulled out the small velvet box from his pant pocket and bent down on one knee, carefully opening the box, smiling up at her. "Mindy Lahiri, will you marry me?"

She sniffled and vigorously nodded. "Yes! Yes, of course I will marry you." She lunged forward as she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. Danny stood up, carrying her with him, and spun her around, eliciting the happiest laugh he has ever heard.

He gently placed her back down. His hands were shaking as he took the ring out of the box and slid it into place on Mindy's finger. He enveloped her once again, not wanting to ever let her go. He withdrew slightly to kiss her soundly, pouring all his love for her into it. She responded enthusiastically, savoring and remembering the moment and the taste of his lips.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: Just some cute pregnancy milestones. Nothing special. I honestly think this fic is kind of going nowhere plot wise LOL But I still hope you like what's happening between the two of them. Comments are always welcome! (: Thanks for reading, everyone!

That night when she and Danny were sleeping, Mindy felt the baby kick. Danny had his left arm just above Mindy's head and his right hand was slung over her swollen abdomen, fingers tangled in her hair. Mindy was tucked neatly under his chin when she was jolted awake by a sudden movement within her.

"Danny...Danny! Wake up," Mindy half whispered, half yelled while jamming her left index finger into Danny's chest. "I think the baby just kicked!"

"Hmm, Min...Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Danny said groggily, as he moved his right hand onto her stomach.

"Danny, the baby kicked! I felt him!" She took Danny's hand in hers as she tried to find the spot the baby kicked in hopes that the baby will kick again for Danny to feel. The baby seemed to read Mindy's mind as the baby kicked again just underneath Danny's palm.

Danny was rendered speechless. He had worked with so many pregnant women and there were times when he felt babies kick when he was with patients, but nothing felt as surreal as feeling his baby kick.

"Wow," Danny breathed. "Min…that's...I can't believe this. That's amazing."

Mindy raised her head to see him. "I know," she said dreamily. She happily smiled at him, and he bent his head down to kiss her.

Danny gently rubbed her abdomen and kissed her forehead as they snuggled closer together, slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

After the 20 week scan, Mindy and Danny were presented with the opportunity to find out the sex of the baby, but Mindy immediately refused any knowledge pertaining to the sex of the baby. Danny wouldn't admit it, but he'd always imagined a mini-Mindy running around their home. He loved the idea of having a daughter with Mindy's sheet of black hair and stubbornness.

They were standing next to each other, backs leaning against their kitchen island, having pancakes and bacon for breakfast when Danny tried to coax Mindy into finding out the sex of the baby.

"Come on, Mindy! Aren't you a _little_ bit curious?"

"Yes! But I still want to be surprised, Danny!"

"Okay, then what color will we paint the nursery? How would we know what color clothes to buy for the baby? More importantly, what will we name him or her?"

"Hmm, you make a good point, but that's not going to change anything!" Mindy waved her free hand in dismissal. "We'll just buy gender neutral colored stuff like yellow or red or purple or something. Plus, we'll have a name for each gender. Easy squeezy, Danny."

Danny desperately wanted to know if he will have a little girl running around, but he wanted to make Mindy happy, so he agreed not to find out the sex of the baby either.

"Besides, I don't even think we think to find out. I have an inkling that it's a boy." She would love to have a girl to spoil and everything, but something made her think it was a boy.

"You can't possibly know the sex of the baby based on an _inkling_. You're an OB/GYN, Mindy. It doesn't work like that," Danny playfully joked.

"You know, that's really rude, Danny. You can't make fun of your hot girlfriend, who is carrying our baby," Mindy said as she playfully poked her fork into Danny's arm.

"Hey! Don't poke me with a fork, but, fine. You win this one, Min. But don't say I didn't tell you so when we have a girl," Danny teasingly said with his signature smirk while rubbing the spot she poked.

* * *

"No. Nope. Absolutely not, Mindy!"

"Come on, Danny. Why not?! It's cute!"

"Nicki?! Nicki? You really want to name our daughter after some random rapper?!"

Mindy shrugged. "It's not that bad, Danny. Nicki Castellano. How cute does that sound?"

"Nope. Next."

Mindy sighed and continued flipped through the baby names book in search of a name for their baby. Mindy was a month away from her due date. They needed a name like yesterday, but they could never decide on either a boy's name or a girl's name.

"Okay, how about if we have a boy, we name him Justin? After the great Justin Timberlake!"

"I think that's worse than Nicki, Min."

Mindy huffed. "Why are you being so difficult, Danny?! If you don't like any of my suggestions, why don't you offer some better names?"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for not contributing." He crossed his arms and sighed, face concentrated as he started thinking of a name.

Danny sighed. "How about Piper for a girl?"

She whipped her head. "Piper?! You would really name our child Piper? I thought you hated the name when I suggested it years ago. You said she would work at the mall, which, by the way, was rude. More like she owns the mall. Hey, how did you remember that, anyway? That was so long ago."

Danny shrugged nonchalantly. "I remember most things you tell me."

She rested the book on the nightstand. "Aww, Danny. Are you just a big softie at heart and all that tough Staten Island stuff is just crap?" Mindy reached over to pinch Danny's cheeks.

"Hey, stop that." Danny started to wave his hands in an attempt to ward off Mindy's fingers from capturing his cheeks.

Mindy did her best Danny Castellano impression to further tease him. "I'm Danny Castellano. Big tough city guy from the island."

"Alright, I do _not_ sound like that."

"Uh, yeah, you do," Mindy laughed, pausing briefly when she felt the baby kick. She rubbed the spot where the baby kicked and said, "Even the baby agrees with me. You _totally_ sound like that."

"What?! The baby does not agree with you. You're lying."

Mindy put up her hands in defense. "Hey, man. Don't look at me."

Danny lowered his head and gently placed it on Mindy's belly. He placed a hand on her stomach and whispered to the baby, "Hey. Hey, little baby, I don't sound like that, do I?" The baby kicked in reaction and Mindy couldn't control her laughter. Danny huffed and teasingly said, "My baby thinks I sound like a weirdo. Great, Mindy."

Mindy patted her stomach and laughed, "Yeah, but we still love you."

Danny couldn't help but beam with happiness. He leaned to kiss her and then her stomach. "Yeah, I love you guys too."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Second to last chapter everyone! Mindy finally has the baby and Tom's back! (:

It was a beautiful, crisp October afternoon in New York City when Mindy went into labor two weeks before her due date. She was in the kitchen, preparing two turkey sandwiches while Danny was hunched over their dining room table, working on paperwork that was long overdue. Mindy's hand holding the butter knife stiffened as she felt some pain and discomfort across her midsection. She squinted her eyes in concentration, mentally gauging the intensity of the contraction. It quickly passed, so she wasn't worried. This was her first contraction, and it could even just be Braxton Hicks contractions.

She padded over to the table and took a seat beside Danny, placing the two plates on the smooth surface. "Come on, Danny. You need to eat lunch."

Danny waved a hand in dismissal. "Yeah, I know, Min. I will. Don't worry about me."

"Danny. You haven't eaten since breakfast and that was hours ago. I even made one of your favorites. A turkey sandwich with the homemade mayo you like so much from the deli down the street."

He looked at Mindy with tired yet appreciative eyes and smiled in thanks. He had taken on a couple of her patients the past few weeks in preparation for Mindy's maternity leave, and the extra paperwork had worn him out thin lately. However, he didn't mind because he was doing it for Mindy.

He pulled the plate closer to him. "Thanks, Min. You're the best." He gently squeezed her hand and tenderly kissed her.

"Of course, babe, anything," she smiled back. He took a generous bite of the sandwich before looking back down at the patient files. Satisfied that Danny had started eating, Mindy gingerly picked up her sandwich, not wanting to let any of the tangy sauce drip down onto the plate. The sandwich barely touched her lips with another contraction shot across her stomach. She dropped her sandwich and clutched her stomach as she sharply inhaled and squeezed her eyes shut.

Within milliseconds, Danny pushed his chair away and knelt beside her, eyes darting back and forth from her face to her stomach. "Mindy?!" She was squeezing the life out his left hand within seconds, which elicited a painful yelp out of Danny.

" ** _God_** , this hurts like a moth-" She took in another breath as the pain intensified and continued to sharply breath through the contraction. "Dan-Danny." She grunted in pain and panted out, "Danny, we need…hospital…ugh...NOW!"

Danny was sweating buckets, sweating more than he has ever sweated in his life. Mindy's pregnancy was pretty easy. Her blood pressure was just fine, the baby was healthy, and there had been zero complications. All the signs pointed towards an easy delivery, but all of this meant nothing to Danny as his worries of Mindy's and the baby's well-being flashed through his mind after seeing Mindy clutch her stomach with one hand and his hand with the other, hunched over in pain. However, Danny didn't have time to dwell on this. He ran into action as he carefully helped Mindy stand and walk towards the door all the while grabbing some pillows and Mindy's delivery bag in the closet.

Luckily they got to the hospital in less than 25 minutes, but they still had to wait a bit since Mindy was in the early stages of labor. She was 4 centimeters dilated, so they still had some time to waste. In the meantime, they called their respective family and friends, including Tom, to let them know of the news and to say that they'll call again if anything changes.

* * *

After 20 hours of labor (Mindy had an epidural. She could _not_ take the pain. Neither could Danny's hand, so he was just as grateful for the epidural as Mindy was.), Baby Girl Castellano came into the world. They had a beautiful baby girl, 7 pounds 9 ounces, 20 inches long, with Mindy's dark hair and perfect nose. Mindy was slightly disappointed at first since she was so sure she would have a boy, but overwhelming love washed over her as she held her for the first time.

"Don't you dare say a word, Castellano."

"I wasn't going to," Danny smirked. "I love you. You did wonderfully." He placed a kiss on her damp temple, settled his forehead onto hers, looked into her eyes. "Thank you for the greatest gift in the world." He kissed her again, and lowered his head to place a kiss on the baby's forehead.

Mindy smiled at him. "I love you too."

* * *

Mindy and Danny were cooing over the newborn when Tom walked in.

Mindy smiled up at him. "Hey, Tom. I'm glad you could make it."

"Me too." He stood beside the bed and smiled at his daughter. "Wow, Mindy, she's beautiful." After a few moments of taking in her features, Tom asked, "How are you? How is she?"

"We're doing great, thanks. Do you want to hold her?"

"Yeah, of course! I'd love to." Tom leaned down to delicately cradle the small newborn in his big arms. He started to sway her back and forth. "Does she have a name yet?"

"No, not yet, but Mindy and I were throwing a few back and forth," Danny piped up.

"Yeah? What are you guys thinking?" He looked down at his daughter in awe, admiring the subtle features of himself in her.

"Danny suggested Piper, but I think she looks like an Emma or a Hayley. What about you, Tom? I think it's only fair you provide some input in her name."

"Thanks, Mindy. Well, I have been thinking about a couple of names, but now that she's finally here, she looks like...a Chloe."

Mindy and Danny looked at each other knowingly and started to laugh.

"What? What's so funny? Is that a really bad name or something?"

Mindy waved a hand in front of her in dismissal. "No, no, it was just something Danny used to tease me about. When I first started working at Shulman's, I wanted everyone to call me Chloe, but Danny wouldn't have it." Tom returned the baby into Mindy's arms.

"So, Min, how do you feel about Chloe?"

She looked down at her sleeping daughter. "Chloe." The baby started to move in Mindy's arms and let out a mewl. Danny chuckled and started to stroke the small bed of black hair on the baby's head.

Mindy giggled. "I think she likes it. Chloe it is. Thanks, Tom."

"You're welcome. So, what about her last name? Is she going to take Lahiri, Castellano, Lahiri hyphen Castellano, my last name, or something?"

"Hmm, wow, we haven't even talked about that. Danny?"

"It's your choice, Min. She's your daughter," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, but she's also yours. You're going to be her father." She returned her gaze to Chloe. After a few minutes of careful consideration, she knew. "Okay, I got it. How about Chloe Castellano? I think it's only fair for her to have the same last name as her parents."

"Min, your last name is Lahiri."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "I know _that_ , Danny, geez. But when we get married, I'm going to change my last name to Castellano."

"Really, Min?" He beamed with pride.

"Really." She smiled widely at him. "And Tom, you can be like her cool Uncle Tom or something."

Tom laughed at the idea. "That would be great. I'd love that. Congratulations, you two. On the engagement and on becoming a family. I'm really happy for you guys, I really am."

Danny stood up to give Tom a handshake, which he graciously accepted. "Hey. Thanks, man. For being so supportive and understanding. It means a lot to me...and to Mindy."

Mindy rested her right hand on Tom's forearm and smiled at him. "Thank you."

Tom smiled back. "Anytime."

* * *

-Four days later-

Danny looked over his shoulder, hoping Mindy didn't notice him getting out of their bed. When he decided the coast was clear, he slowly opened the door to the yellow nursery room, which had giraffes, elephants, monkeys, and other wild animals scattered along the walls.

He quietly padded over to Chloe's crib and just stared and smiled at her. He couldn't believe she was real or how gorgeous she was. He felt so much love for her, it surprised and warmed him. He didn't think he could love another human being as much as he loves Mindy, but here he was, staring at the most beautiful baby. He knew that she would have him wrapped around her finger for the rest of his life, but he didn't care. He loved her so much.

He itched to hold her, and against his better judgement, he reached into the crib. She slightly squirmed and huffed. He let out a quiet chuckle. _She's definitely Mindy's daughter. I'd know that huff anywhere._ "Hey, Chloe. It's just me, Daddy." He gently rubbed her back until she stopped stirring, Once she comfortably adjusted in his arms, he started to pace back and forth, softly bobbing her. He widely smiled down at her again, closely examining her features.

He heard a small creak behind him. He looked back at the doorway and saw Mindy leaning against the doorframe. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He softly whispered.

"I should ask you the same thing, Danny," she teasingly replied back.

He lowly chuckled as Mindy made her way to him. "I couldn't help it. I wanted to hold her again and make sure she's real."

"As adorable it is to see you cooing over her, you need to let her sleep in her own crib, Danny. You're going to spoil her."

"I don't care. She's perfect."

Mindy chuckled and ran her index finger over Chloe's bed of hair. "Yeah, I can't argue with you on that." She looked up at him and winked. He playfully nudged her with his elbow in response.

She loved seeing Danny coo over their daughter. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world, knowing what a wonderful father he is and that she gets to spend the rest of her life with her best friend. Her love life before Danny was less than perfect and the ups and downs they had been through together to get where they are today was both amazing and challenging, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She finally got everything she had ever wanted: a family, a loving husband, a successful career, love and happiness. The sound of Chloe mewling broke Mindy out of her reverie.

"Come on, Danny. Let's go back to bed, okay?"

"Yeah….okay." He sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to hold Chloe any longer. He carefully placed her back in her crib and kissed her soft forehead. When he straightened, he turned to Mindy and just hugged her tightly, wrapping one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist. She automatically cuddled into him and breathed in his familiar cologne.

Danny remembered one of the many times he held Mindy like this. It was years ago when she pretended to be his pregnant fiancé. He remembered how much he wanted it to be true at the time. Now that their charade that night had finally become real, he felt like he came back full circle. He placed a lingering kiss on the side of Mindy's head, just like that night years ago. He smiled at how funny and ironic life worked sometimes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, this is it! I had so much fun writing this fic, and I'm sad it's over. I just want to thank everyone who read this and left such sweet reviews. I couldn't have done it without the support of this wonderful fandom! Special thanks to mindyanddannyfineanddandy and tinyfierceandsassy for reading my chapters, giving me advice/suggestions, and being so patient with me! You're the greatest. Thanks for reading everyone!

Mindy and Danny finally got married in April the following year, when Chloe was six months old. Wedding planning, Mindy found out, takes up a lot of time especially when you're caring for a baby and working as an OB/GYN, so the wedding was small and simple.

Mindy found out she was two months pregnant in August that same year. This time, the baby _was_ Mindy and Danny's, much to their appreciation.

In February, Mindy gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who inherited Danny's thick hair and brown, soulful eyes and Mindy's chin. Danny tried his hardest to persuade Mindy _not_ to name the baby Justin after Justin Timberlake. However, when she said that in his proposal, he would spend the rest of his life trying to make her happy, he gave in and let her name their baby boy Justin. He just hopes Mindy won't make his son be a pop star or be in a boy band.

* * *

Chloe is three years old now, and Tom visits her a few times a month. He has been to all three of Chloe's birthday parties, and she calls him Uncle Tom. He's one of her favorite uncles between him and Uncle Morgan. She still loves Uncle Jeremy, Uncle Rishi, and Uncle Richie, but apparently, they're not as cool as Uncle Tom or Uncle Morgan.

Danny got his dream of having a little Mindy running around their apartment, and he couldn't be happier. He loves Chloe with all of his heart. He can't help but chuckle every time she pouts because she's just as stubborn as Mindy and she looks exactly like Mindy when she pouts. Chloe talks a lot, and she's extremely smart (she already reads those Dr. Seuss books quite well for her age). Chloe is so much like Mindy, it scares him, but in the best way possible.

Justin is barely two years old, but Danny can see a lot of himself in him already. Justin is on the quiet side and is as methodical as a two year old can be when it comes to putting away toys. He even enjoys accompanying Danny at the piano. Danny's just glad Justin isn't a crazy sweaty kid. He's got Mindy to thank for that.

He's got Mindy to thank for everything.


End file.
